


Zangetsu

by TheLoneOnlineWolf2



Category: Bleach
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 23:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16356512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneOnlineWolf2/pseuds/TheLoneOnlineWolf2
Summary: After being taken to the Royal Palace to fix his Tensa Zangetsu damaged by Yhwach's right-hand man, Jugram Haschwalth, Ichigo Kurosaki meets the Blade God, Nimaiya Oetsu.After being sent to Karakura Town to learn about his Quincy heritage and the truth about his mother's death, Ichigo returns to Nimaiya's Palace - the Hoohden - and after picking an Asauchi that looks similar to his inner hollow, Ichigo gets Nimaiya to reforge his blade.Problem is...Nimaiya has to tell him a truth that will rock Ichigo's world, forever.





	Zangetsu

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter contains SPOILERS. If u haven't read Bleach Chapter 540 nor have seen the TYBW arc (the final arc) of Bleach in the manga, go read it or don't read this.
> 
> To those who have read it, I changed some things in here cus when I read it, it made no sense to me (some aspects).
> 
> So some things are going to be changed. It is not exact to the manga.

As Nimaiya struck down his hammer back onto the white, flaming blade, his eyes wandered to the orange-haired Shinigami.

"Hey, Chan-Ichi!!" Nimaiya called out.

"Chan-Ichi?" Ichigo mumbled before saying 'yes' to answer.

"What's going on through that head of yours?" Nimaiya asked.

"Well.....right now, I'm thinking that it wasn't necessary for you to take off your shades, was it? I mean, with that much fire, shouldn't you have them on?" Ichigo questioned, still thinking about Nimaiya's odd nickname for him.

"Hm. You i~~~diot!!!" Nimaiya responded. "If I had on my shades, how could I have seen the colour of the flames right now?"

Nimaiya stayed silent for a while, repetitively hitting down on the blade that was starting to change shape. This was it. He decided. There was no way he was gonna let Ichigo wield a Zanpakuto like this without knowing the truth.

"Did ya notice, Chan-Ichi? How the Asauchi you chose out of all of the hundreds of them turned white as snow as soon as you touched it?" Nimaiya pointed out.

Ichigo's face was filled with confusion and yet Nimaiya knew that deep down, Ichigo had realised it.

"You probably thought something along the lines of: 'It's like the Hollow inside of me'. Am I right?" Nimaiya continued in a serious tone. "Well, that's right. This is your Inner Hollow. I made the Asauchi like this in order to reforge your Zanpakuto."

Ichigo's face flooded with realization and Nimaiya caught notice of this.

"That's right. Your Inner Hollow is Chan-Ichi's true Zanpakuto. The Hollow that Aizen had made called 'White' was born after piling up a lot of Shinigami souls. Oddly enough, that is how my Asauchis are made. The Hollow that went inside Chan-Ichi merged with Chan-Ichi's Shinigami powers and they became one."

"W-Wait..." Ichigo interrupted, trying to make sense of this.

"Exactly. That other guy you've been hanging out with has just been pulling the wool over your eyes!!"

Suddenly, with no warning, Ichigo found himself inside his inner world. He was standing on the side of a tall and blue skyscraper. In front of him was his partner. His Zanpakuto. He donned a long and black garb, semi-transparent sunglasses and a white shirt with its collar popped.

"Old Man.....Zangetsu......" Ichigo whispered as he stared at the man.

"Chan-Ichi, you know this man." 

Nimaiya's voice could be heard, echoing thoughout Ichigo's inner world.

"Of course I know him. He's Zange-"

"Wrong!!" Nimaiya interrupted. "Look closer. You should be able to see it. Come on, connect the dots. That man staring right at you....he's the man that currently had the Soul Society almost reduced to rubble!!!"

Through Ichigo's head, a vision of the face of the man who had proclaimed he was the boss of the Quincies ran through.

"That guy in front of you ain't a Shinigami power. He's yer Quincy power!! He is Yhwach from a thousand years ago!!!"

_Up until now, I've been trying to rationalize this entire experience. I was never given any information yet I was able to arrive at that exact location. When I first met Juha Bach.....why did I assume that he was the primary adversary?_

_Why was it that when I looked into his eyes....I was immediately reminded of someone else?_

"ZANGETSU!!!" Ichigo cried out, his voice shaking as he stared at the man in front of him.

Suddenly, the rain fell down in Ichigo's inner world. Zangetsu or.....whoever he was expressed how when Ichigo falls into despair or sadness, it starts to rain in his world. 

"Answer me.....Zangetsu." Ichigo said, tears forming in his eyes.

"It is as you were told. My name....is not Zangetsu." the man replied. This shook Ichigo's heart. It was one thing from someone he barely knows but to hear it from a person he trusted his life with....it was too much. The buildings started to crumble and break around them and they were all plunged into an ocean.

Ichigo stared at the man as their surroundings changed. "So it's true. You really weren't Zangetsu. You were really.......Yhwach."

"What I am is the manifestation of your Quincy powers. I am and yet am not Yhwach." the man said, mysteriously.

"So then, WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?!" Ichigo snapped. "Are you my comrade? Are you my enemy? Has everything that you've told me been a lie? ANSWER ME!!"

The man remained calm, not shaken by Ichigo's demanding questions. "I am not your comrade. Nor an enemy. But....the wisdom that I have given you has never led you astray."

"Ichigo....have you not noticed?" the man questioned, confusing Ichigo. "Every time I taught you how to wield your Zanpakuto, I've always used your hollow. The time when you were unable to properly wield the power of your Zanpakuto in your fight against Byakuya Kuchiki.....the time when your life was in mortal danger against Ulquiorra Schiffer.....it was never me who saved you. It was your Hollow."

Ichigo stayed silent, going back to the times his hollow had manifested itself in his fights against Byakuya and Ulquiorra. At the time, he always thought that the hollow was interfering. But....he was only helping Ichigo. Helping him to win by any means necessary.

"I'm sure you were told....Yhwach's blood flows through all Quincies." the man added. "Inside your mother flowed her blood and his. She passed on her blood along with a bit of Yhwach's blood. However, at the time, Yhwach's blood overpowered her own. Along with your latent Shinigami powers that was fused with your hollow, your Spiritual Pressure was quite high. Which was why you could see spirits.

At the point of your mother's death was when her power managed to overpower Yhwach's blood flowing within you. Which gave birth to me.

My only desire when I was born was the same desire your mother had when she died. It was to protect you.

I wanted to make sure you never became a Shinigami. If you did, you would've been dragged into fights and would've gotten seriously wounded. Which is why I decided to become the centre of your soul and suppressed your Shinigami powers. But I failed. Your powers are enormous. I did not have enough power. I could only suppress 60% of your Shinigami powers.

The rest leaked out from you constantly."

"Why?" Ichigo asked.

"Are you asking why I would want you out of harm's way?" the man scoffed. "But I failed. You became a Shinigami and from the moment you took in Rukia Kuchiki's power, I knew.....that I would have to slay you with my own hands."

Suddenly, the man reached out his right hand to his side and summoned a blade made of blue fire. Ichigo clenched his fists.

"Or at least that's what I thought." the man spoke. "But seeing you becoming a Shinigami, seeing you train diligently and seeing you continue down the path even after experiencing great pain and suffering......I must admit, it made my heart waver.

Instead of stopping you, I decided to help you. I wanted to see you succeed rather than fail. Even now, if it means doing this....I am more than glad to be relinquishing my hold on you."

Ichigo became alarmed as soon as he was the old man's body starting to disappear. "Zangetsu!!" he exclaimed.

"Ichigo....you truly have become strong. Standing right next to you.....this entire time.....I've watched you proudly as you became the man you are now. The pride I feel towards you is indescribable. I'm finally...at peace."

"No...wait!! WAIT, ZANGETSU!!!!" Ichigo shouted as the man's body disappeared, leaving the sword behind. 

"Ichigo....the power you have been using is a fraction of your true power. A fraction that I failed to surpress." the man's voice explained. "Now, take it. Fight with your true power. That is.......Zangetsu."

A bright white light enveloped Ichigo as he sunk down. He kept thinking to himself. The times when the Old Man helped him. The times when he clashed with his Inner Hollow and learned how to fight with his Zanpakuto.

_That's right. There were no lies. Not in your words. Nor in his words._

_You used the 'shadow' of a Quincy to save me. You used the 'blood' of a Quincy to stop mine from spilling. You used the 'power' of a Quincy to help let the powerless me win my battles._

_Zangetsu......._

_I'm not sure who you truly are. But to me....you....and him.....in my eyes.....you're both Zangetsu. Are you okay with things being left like that?_

_Zangetsu......._

Ichigo opened his eyes to find himself back in the real world. He looked in front of him to see Nimaiya looking at the white blade. Without hesitation, Ichigo charged, pushed Nimaiya to the side and used both his hands to touch the blade.

The flames sprung forth, surrounding the area, burning the sleeves of his Shihakusho. 

"Hey, stop that!! Your hands will burn!!" a woman shouted.

"Nah, it's all good." Nimaiya chuckled. "I was thinking the same thing, Chan-Ichi. That in order for your Zanpakuto to be complete, you would need to fill it with your spirit energy. Now then....PULL IT OUT, ICHIGO!! THAT IS YOUR ZANPAKUTO!!!"

Ichigo inhaled as he brought out the blade. The sea around them all suddenly evaporated in one go.

"H-Has this ever happened before?" another woman asked.

"Obviously not!!!" a girl replied.

"Hmph. So the blade was so hot that it needed the entire sea to help cool it down." Nimaiya smiled, putting his shades on. "So, Chan-Ichi....tell me. How does it feel.....to wield those 'Zangetsus'?"

Nimaiya stared as Ichigo held two different Zanpakutos. Both were pure black. The one he wielded with his right hand resembled a giant khyber knife. It was almost as long as Ichigo himself. A middle portion of the blade was hollowed out. The one he had in his left hand resembled a trench knife. It had an enclosed handle with part of the blade acting as a hand guard.

Ichigo gazed at the two blades as he felt two distinct presences. In the large blade, he could feel the power of his Inner Hollow along with his Shinigami powers. In the smaller blade, he could feel the strength of his Quincy powers along with the old man.

_I won't ask you to lend me your strength again._

_I won't ask you to stay out of my way again._

_But please....just once more....fight with me one more time._

_Zangetsu._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Bleach is one of my favourite animes/manga so it was fun writing about it.


End file.
